Popular messaging service for Android customers, Google Messages is testing end-to-end encryption for group chats. Recently, Google is including numerous options to its messaging platform. For occasion, Google Messages customers can now watch YouTube movies within the app and react to messages despatched by iPhone customers. Now, it appears just like the platform will get a safety improve.

Redditors found the continuing encryption take a look at for group chats

As per a report by 9To5Google, Google is testing end-to-end encryption for group chats over RCS within the Messages app. Earlier this yr, the corporate mentioned it could begin experimenting with the characteristic in late 2022. The report cites customers within the r/GoogleMessages subreddit, saying they seen one encrypted group message. 

The folks within the subreddit used each Google Messages and Samsung Messages RCS. Upon investigating, the Redditors discovered that end-to-end encryption was enabled through Google Messages, which implies it could encrypt the messages despatched through RCS group chats. However, for an RCS group chat to be encrypted, it needs to be enabled on all gadgets. 

On the opposite hand, the report additionally talked about that in a single instance the publication has seen, the app tried to ship an encrypted message anyway however was unsuccessful (when encryption was not enabled for all customers). Additionally, there is no such thing as a straightforward means for customers to inform whether or not E2EE is enabled on their gadgets for group chats. To recall, E2E was first added to Google Messages in late 2020. However, the characteristic was restricted to one-to-one conversations solely. Although different on-line messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram present E2E for group chats. 

Here is how Google Messages’ end-to-end encryption works

On a assist web page, Google writes that customers’ eligible messages and attachments, together with photographs and movies, are end-to-end encrypted. It is a safety technique that retains their communications safe in order that nobody, not even Google, can learn the eligible messages. They journey between the customers’ telephones and the receivers’ telephones. 

When texting in an encrypted atmosphere, each the sender and receiver have a code, which needs to be the identical for each. The code is known as a secret key and exists solely on the 2 gadgets. However, it’s an outdated assist web page revealed earlier than Google began texting end-to-end encryption for group conversations on Messages. Nevertheless, the underlying know-how that encrypts the messages stays the identical.